St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1887-06-11
A TOUGH HOLE.
Julesburg as 1t Was Some Twenty
Years Ago.

Years Ago.
Omaha Bee.
1t was about the toughest place in ex-
istence.
This expression fell from the lips of
the ex-mayor and police judge of Jules
burg, Col, Col. Edmund Bartlett, the
other night. He was discussing with a
reporter for the Bee that erstwhile
fourishing city of the Western frontier.
he was indulging in some interesting
"reminiscences of the now ''deserte d
village" and the time he referred to
was when Julesburg was the western
terminus OF the Union Pacific. To-day
Julesburg is nowhere; its relic is now
Denver junction. Where twenty years
ago there was fiourishing town of 1000
inhabitants, there are to-day but few
struggling huts and houses.
AT the time when Mr.. Bartlett was the
combined mayor and police Judge of the
place, 1T is hardly to be questioned that
JuleSburg was, to use his own express
sion, ''the toughest hole in CREATION
Nlne-tenths of the population would
corrupt the morals of the worst pirate
snip afioat. 1t was community of
thieves,
MURDERERs, CUT-THRoATs, GAMBLERS
ana prostitutes-in short, the riff-raff of
humanity. Dance halls, gambling houses
and brothels were the principal places of
amusement and resort, and outnum-
Dered the legitimate business houses
three to one. Every night in the streets
OF this city could be heard the sssWeet
notes OF the pistol"-the shrek of some
dying victim, the hollow laugh of the
painted harlot, the coarse jest and curse
OF the debauchee, the border ruffian or
the murderer. Crime and villainy held
nightly carnival there. The annals of
the town were one sickening repetition
OF vice and horror, to recount which
would fill volumes, 1t was in short the
Inferno" of Dantes, reproduced on
Such was Julesburg at the time re-
ferred to by Col. Bartlett.
THE JUDGE WAS ARMED, TOO.
one interesting Renaissance related
by MIR. Bartlett related to the trial of
two toughs, "Shorty" and Jack Hayes,
who came down to Julesburg from
Cheyenne. They announced when thew
landed In the former place that they
would run the town. They galloped
through the streets, yelling, cursing
and firing revolvers at the bystanders,
without regard for age or sex. The
police arrested them, and thew were
brought before Judge Bartlett for
trial. On this occasion the court
room was packed with desperadoes
and ruffians, who were friends of the
two prisoners, together with a large
body OF citizen-vigilantes, who were de-
termlned to see that justice was done to
the Cheyenne toughS. Both sides were
armed for desperate work. Probably in
that little cabin which served as court
mouse there were no less than 200 re-
volYers. The friends of the prisoners
openly boosted that
THEY WOULD KILL THE JUDGE
II he dared to sentence the culpritS.
Finally the jury brought in verdict of
guilty. The judge rose promptly in his
seat and leaned slightly over his desk, a
cooked revolver in each hand. s'Gen-
tlemen," he said, 81 have heard your
threats and l understand your inten-
lions. Ii you are disposed to resist the
execution of my sentence, the best time
is now and the best place is here. I
want to say that there is plenty of room
In these sand hills to bury every man of
you. | shall sentence each of these
men to pay a fine of $3.50"
There was not word said and the two
men were taken back to Jail under a
strong guard. They were released af-
ter their friends had paid the aggregate
fine of $500.
A DESPERATE ENCOUNTER.
Another incident recalled by the eX-
police judge of this ''Wicked City of the
Plains" seems to show in what constant
danger of their lives were the police